Man arrested at petrol station in connection with Essex lorry deaths
A man has been arrested at a petrol station in connection with the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants found in a lorry in Essex.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) said that the Vietnamese national, who is not being named, was detained at about 1pm this afternoon (June 17).
He is suspected of running safe houses in Brussels, where the migrants stayed before their fatal journey. He is also accused of organising transport in taxis to their collection point in France.
Earlier this year people smuggling ringleaders responsible for manslaughter were spared life sentences and just last week a man in Italy was also arrested for his alleged involvement.
The victims, Vietnamese men, woman and children, had hoped for a better life in Britain when they agreed to pay up to £13,000 a head for a “VIP” smuggling service.
The man arrested today is wanted by the Belgian authorities, who allege he is involved in a network, moving migrants through Belgium and France and into the UK in the back of lorries.